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The Benefits of UsingPattern Block Puzzles
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As children solve problems posed by the Pattern Block Puzzles, they have the possibility to construct knowledge that, according to National Council of Teachers of Mathematics Standards, is the foundation for later, more complex, geometric understanding. This activity helps children meet the following geometry standards:
While solving the Pattern Block Puzzles children will analyze characteristics and properties of two-and three-dimensional geometric shapes by:
Beyond meeting these standards, as children are challenged to solve the problems posed by the various designs, they learn to discriminate among five different angles ranging from 30 degrees to 150 degrees. Young children will not be able to identify the degree of angle but they will learn to coordinate the different angles of the pattern block shapes with matching angles they create inside the Pattern Block Puzzles. They will also learn about area as they create spaces that can be filled and cannot be filled with pattern blocks of differing shapes.
In general, research shows that children first begin to coordinate the small angles, 30 and 60 degrees, and later the area created inside the puzzles and the shapes of the pattern blocks. If adults use the names of the shapes (triangle, trapezoid, parallelogram, square, rhombus, and hexagon) in their conversations with children, children will learn to identify and recognize the shapes in the same way they learn what shoes are when an adult says, “Let’s put on your shoes.”
Dr. Sales is available to present workshops on the use and benefits of Pattern Block Puzzles, physics activities for young children, classroom atmosphere, conflict resolution, and other constructivist approaches to early childhood curriculum.
While solving the Pattern Block Puzzles children will analyze characteristics and properties of two-and three-dimensional geometric shapes by:
- learning to recognize, compare, and sort two-and three-dimensional geometric shapes
- describing attributes and parts of two-and three-dimensional geometric shapes
- investigating and predicting the results of putting together and taking apart two-and three-dimensional geometric shapes
- recognizing and applying slides, flips, and turns (known in mathematical language as transformations)
- recognizing and creating shapes that have symmetry
- creating mental images of geometric shapes using spatial memory and spatial visualization
- recognizing and representing shapes from different perspectives
Beyond meeting these standards, as children are challenged to solve the problems posed by the various designs, they learn to discriminate among five different angles ranging from 30 degrees to 150 degrees. Young children will not be able to identify the degree of angle but they will learn to coordinate the different angles of the pattern block shapes with matching angles they create inside the Pattern Block Puzzles. They will also learn about area as they create spaces that can be filled and cannot be filled with pattern blocks of differing shapes.
In general, research shows that children first begin to coordinate the small angles, 30 and 60 degrees, and later the area created inside the puzzles and the shapes of the pattern blocks. If adults use the names of the shapes (triangle, trapezoid, parallelogram, square, rhombus, and hexagon) in their conversations with children, children will learn to identify and recognize the shapes in the same way they learn what shoes are when an adult says, “Let’s put on your shoes.”
Dr. Sales is available to present workshops on the use and benefits of Pattern Block Puzzles, physics activities for young children, classroom atmosphere, conflict resolution, and other constructivist approaches to early childhood curriculum.
